This afternoon campaigners from The People's Assembly held a Tories Out! protest at a packed Tory Party public meeting at Manchester Town Hall where Jacob Rees-Mogg was speaking.

"You are ruining people's lives" one protester told him before being bundled out of the hall. Following the demo, Rees-Mogg began speaking at the meeting – with a framed photo of Margaret Thatcher by his side.

This afternoon, as the adoring massed ranks of the Tory Party hard right met at Manchester Town Hall to hear JacobRees-Mogg talk at a public meeting, protesters from The People's Assembly took some home truths to the Conservative wannabe leader.

On his way into the hall, The People's Assembly media team managed to film a few minutes with Rees-Mogg, asking him why he thought the growth in food banks was 'uplifting'

"What I actually said was the generosity of people who give to food banks is uplifting, it really is" he replied "That people give things voluntarily is really impressive and we should be grateful that they do that."

When told that the Tories are presiding over the worst living standards on records he insisted they were still improving*. Once in the hall, Rees-Mogg was met with chants of 'Tories Out!'. Some managed to confront him near the stage, despite Tory activists intervening.

"We're the only advanced economy with depreciating wages...what are you on about that people's lives are better?...You are ruining people's lives" one campaigner told him.

While Rees-Mogg tried to engage with the issues raised, Tory Party members tried to rip down Tories Out! posters being held up, while one posh blonde haired 'lady' actually slapped a protester across the face.

Eventually the protesters were bundled out of the hall by burly Manchester Council bouncers, and one disabled man was manhandled and, he says, almost thrown down the concrete stairs...

"I stood there peacefully with a sign, as it was a public meeting and there were Conservatives also with posters in front of me" Alex Knox told the Salford Star later "Then the Tories all bundled around me trying to rip the poster down, pushing me, and one of them slapped me across the face in a common assault.

"I was then bundled out by bouncers, who I told that I was disabled" he added "I have to wear a leg brace, and it was very obvious that I am disabled. I told them I would walk out peacefully but they continued to manhandle me and I injured my leg on the way out.

"I continuously said that I was disabled, and there was no reason for them to assault and manhandle me in the way that they did. They kind of threw me down the stairs, and were causing me severe pain. The police were reasonable and I made a report that I was assaulted by security guards and Tory activists."

Karla was another protester who managed to have words with Rees-Mogg... "I went because I think that the Conservatives are so out of touch with the people" she explained

"I asked him why he thinks it's ok to profit from abortion drugs when he's so strongly pro-life" she added "He said it doesn't count if it's in Indonesia, because in Indonesia abortions are illegal; so even though that drug is used for abortions that it doesn't count. I think he's a hypocrite...

"I think that he's not in touch with modern values at all" she said "It's like he's something from the Victorian age..."

When the room was cleared of campaigners, Rees-Mogg began speaking – with a framed photo of Margaret Thatcher by his side...

I think the man who confronted him about food banks was amazing!
Also thank you for doing an article that really covers what happened. I was stood near the guy with the leg brace, and we were both given a really rough time. It was not right to handle him the way they did.